I mostly agree with Nolan, except for a couple of things:
Narrow front end tractors may look more tippy than wide fronts, but if you look
at the geometry of a wide vs. narrow tractor, you will see that the front pivot
points are more or less in the same place (unlike a truck or car). Utility
(low)
tractors are somewhat more stable than standard (farm) tractors, and wheel
weights will help a little, but nothing beats knowing your tractor, terrain,
and
where not to go and how to avoid a problem when the high side tire starts to
lift.
I don't think that you need 4WD for traction in Texas hill country, but I do
agree that power steering is fairly important when using a loader (500-1000 lbs
of counterweight will also help a lot, if you don't have power steering). Also
realize that a sturdy loader puts a lot of weight on the front of the tractor,
so steering components and rear traction can suffer (which can be offset by the
4WD). But you should also be aware that 4WD adds considerable cost and
complexity.
The issue of repair parts is not a trivial one. Going with a product supplied
by
a local dealer is very important, unless you have enough machines that you can
afford to have one down for a week or more while waiting for parts to be
shipped
in. And I have heard many complaints that the Asian tractors' repair parts
prices are beyond rediculous - $200 for a piston, etc. - and very difficult to
get if the machine is more than a few years old. While I am not a "Made in USA"
freak, I have come to appreciate the value of being able to get parts for my
International, JD, Ford, and Case tractors either the same day or overnight and
for very reasonable prices. And some of my tractors are over 50 years old.
The older machines, say from about 1965 and newer, have all of the features of
the new machines and are built a whole lot tougher. Plus, they are much less
expensive to buy. I just sold a very nice '65 Farmall 706 with loader, power
steering, independent dual PTO's, 16 speed transmission, etc., for $4500. This
tractor handled a 6' brush cutter with ease. But, as Nolan suggested, you might
want to go with something like an 856 Hydro for a similar price if you are
doing
a lot of "shuttle" work, and shifting a big tractor can get old pretty fast. I
also have a Case 430 with a loader that has a "shuttle shift" which works very
nicely for loader work, but I need to have half a ton of counterweight in back
to maintain traction with the rear wheels.
Images of some of my tractors can be seen at the Fotki site noted below,
Mike
Nolan Penney wrote:
> The perfect car for you is....
> That's why there is no single perfect tractor. Some folks love a two
> stage foot clutch, some love having a hand operated pto clutch. Neither
> is wrong.
>
> I don't know what you're thinking about price wise, or what your bent
> is with regards to equipment.
>
> You could successfully work your place with an ancient 8N tractor. I
> know lots of folks who do. Wouldn't recommend it though. Lack of live
> hydraulics and live pto make old tractors quite obnoxious. You also
> can't lock the differential and the old machines don't have 4wd or power
> steering. That stinks also.
>
> Power is often overrated, and people tend to buy far more then they
> need.
>
> A 5' brush/bush hog can be very well driven with a sub-30 hp tractor.
> Sure, you can use a bigger tractor to power it, but you're basically
> wasting fuel. A 100 hp tractor can also spin an 18' batwing mower.
> That big batwing is nifty, but costs a fortune and you can't maneuver it
> worth a darn.
>
> You mention wanting to move round bales around during the winter. In
> that case, I'd recommend you at least consider 4wd, a front end loader,
> and power steering. Yes, you can move a round bale with a 3 point
> hitch, but it stinks when compared to a front end loader with a spike.
> If you've ever operated a front end loader tractor without power
> steering, you'll never want to do that again.
>
> Consider carefully the availability of parts and service in your area.
> A Long tractor may well be cheap, but if the nearest parts dealer that
> carries that manufacturer is 300 miles away, that's not so neat. That's
> the biggest single problem with many of the Chinese tractors, they are
> good machines, but parts are a disaster.
>
> Be aware that companies like Kubota make a truly dandy machine, but
> they handle parts inventory like an automobile manufacturer. After
> about 8 years, good luck at getting them. Companies like Deere, Case,
> Ford and such carry parts from well over half a century ago.
>
> Tricycle: These are the three wheelers, also called row croppers.
> They are unstable and prone to tipping.
>
> Utility: 4 wheels like a car, low slung. Your general purpose
> tractor. Far more stable, can have occasional clearance problems,
> especially working crops like corn.
>
> PTO: Power take off. You want this to be live. As in powered
> directly by the engine. Older tractors had them driven via the
> transmission, meaning you press in the clutch and the pto stops.
> Anything built in the last 20 years will have a live PTO.
>
> 3 point hitch: You want this. It's the #1 impalement attachment
> method. Really old tractors have different designs, making equipment
> mounting very difficult. They come in various sizes. Category I is the
> basic. Category II is for big equipment (60 hp and up as I recall),
> category III is huge. About 95% of the equipment sold is category I.
> There is a category 0 which is for lawn tractor toys with a tiny 3 point
> hitch.
>
> ROPS: Roll over protection system. Not worth a darn if you refuse to
> wear the seat belt. #1 safety impalement on tractors for years now.
> But, they screw you up for snaking under things. Orchard tractors often
> have them removed so they can get under the trees.
>
> Tires: Turf vs field. Field tires are the classic tractor tire you
> see with the paddle wheel tread. Turf tires are what is on a riding
> mower. Turf tires are great for lawn mowing and such. You don't
> compact the soil much and don't leave ruts. Turf tires don't have the
> traction of a field tire. A field tire will leave ruts in the lawn
> though, and tears the sod apart when they slip. If you plow, you need
> field tires, if you just mow, turf tires would be better.
>
> Diesel vs gas: Diesel is harder to start on a cold winter morning.
> Diesel also has interesting quirks and problems with algae growing in
> the fuel and such. However, diesel is the hands down winner when it
> comes to making grunting noises. A gasoline engine is zippier, but will
> never keep up with a diesel when it comes to plowing and such.
>
--
________________________________________________________________
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
Email:(msloane@att.net)
Website: <http://www.geocities.com/mikesloane>
Tractor images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>
"Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those
who could have acted;
the indifference of those who should have known better;
the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most;
that has made it possible for evil to triumph."
- Haile Selassie
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